Unexpected
by KarasumaFirestorm
Summary: Summer's over, and freshman year at Hillridge is starting for our trio...and that's when things start spiraling out of control. (complete)
1. Unexpected

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Hey, folks, just thought I'd do something new...this is all presupposing that the events of The Lizzie McGuire Movie, whatever they may be, never happened. All will be expositioned, never you fear...  
  
Please R/R!! Flames welcomed.  
*Karasuma*Firstorm*  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter One: Unexpected  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
The day had come. The first day of high school. Look out, Hillridge High, here comes Lizzie McGuire.  
  
Well, that would have been Lizzie's mantra if she wasn't already having a royally crappy day. Matt had decided in the middle of the night that it would be hilarious to turn off Lizzie's alarm. So Lizzie overslept, got yelled at by her mom, and didn't have time to think up a good enough punishment for Matt. Plus, she'd slipped in the shower and bashed her elbow against the side of the tub, and her dad had finished the last of the cereal, so she hadn't gotten breakfast. It was shaping up to be a *fabulous* day.  
  
Lizzie was in her room doing her hair when she heard the loud honk. She peered out her window and saw the Sanchez's station wagon pulled up to the curb out front -- Miranda's mom was taking the three of them to school that day. "LIZZIE!" Jo McGuire bellowed. "Your ride is here!"  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Lizzie griped, running the brush through her hair one last time. "Geez, Mom, can't you pick on Matt for once?" she muttered to herself, clamoring down the stairs. She left without saying goodbye.  
  
Lizzie was a bit nervous about getting in the car. It would be the first time she'd seen Gordo or Miranda in months. On the last day of school, she had realized that maybe her feelings for Gordo were more than just friendship vibes, and she'd kissed him on the cheek in the class picture. But she'd panicked, not sure what to do, terrified that maybe Kate had been lying to her at the murder mystery party, that maybe Gordo didn't like her after all, that maybe she was about to screw up everything with her best friend. So not even a week later, she left for summer camp in Colorado. Miranda had returned to California sometime during the summer, and Lizzie had communicated with both of her best friends through postcards, but she never brought up the kiss.  
  
It had been Lizzie's intention that the summer would help clear her head about the situation, and it had -- she liked Gordo. There were no two ways about it. The absence really did make the heart grow fonder, and Lizzie had been panicking about the first day of school because she didn't know how to go about telling Gordo that she'd completely fallen in love with him.  
  
"Hey, guys!" Lizzie chirped cheerfully, climbing in the backseat next to Gordo. "Hola, Mrs. Sanchez, how was Mexico?"  
  
"A real eye-opener," Miranda's mom gushed, "but we really missed Hillridge, didn't we, chica?"  
  
"Totally," Miranda agreed, and leaned over into the backseat to give Lizzie a brief hug. "Girl, you look fabulous! It's been ages!"  
  
"It has," Lizzie laughed, hugging back. Mrs. Sanchez started the car, and Miranda quickly faced forward. Lizzie took this opportunity to hug Gordo briefly, and declare, "I missed you both so much."  
  
"I missed you too," Gordo said quietly, the first thing he'd said to her that morning, and Lizzie felt her face heating up. "Um," was all she could think of to say.  
  
"How was Colorado?" Miranda asked from the front seat, and Lizzie tore her gaze away from Gordo.  
  
"A lot of fun, actually. I was a counselor-in-training."  
  
"I thought you hated kids."  
  
"I changed my mind," Lizzie said flippantly. "I just hate Matt. You won't believe what he did to me this morning..."  
  
~~~~~  
  
When they finally pulled in front of the high school, Lizzie was all talked out about Matt and Colorado. Now they stood on the front steps and compared their schedules. Lizzie shared first period with Gordo. Great! They'd finally have their first moment alone since May, and maybe she could work up the courage to tell Gordo the truth.  
  
They started into the school and split ways almost immediately thereafter. Miranda's English class was on the second floor, and Lizzie and Gordo's Economics class was up on the fourth. They paused in the stairwell to say goodbye.  
  
"So, I'll see you third period for math, right, Lizzie?" Miranda said, double-checking her schedule.  
  
Lizzie nodded. "Yep. Economics, chemistry, and math, all in a row! Does my morning schedule suck or what?"  
  
"Totally," Miranda sympathized, but Gordo shook his head. "I've got study hall second period. I'll be bored out of my mind."  
  
"Gordo, study hall?" Lizzie echoed. "You mean you didn't completely load your schedule with genius classes?"  
  
"Is that all I am to you guys?" Gordo asked. "A brain?"  
  
Lizzie and Miranda glanced at each other, and shrugged. "Yeah," they chorused, and Gordo's head dropped. But all three of them started laughing. They were only joking.  
  
"You're a total brain," Miranda said, "but that's why I like you." Then she leaned over and kissed Gordo's cheek. "Ciao for now!" she chirped, disappearing into the throng of high school students.  
  
Gordo laughed, and shook his head.  
  
Lizzie froze.  
  
The warning bell rang; they had only a minute or so to get to class.  
  
"What on earth happened back there?" she demanded as the two climbed up to the fourth floor.  
  
"Um, Lizzie...we didn't know how to tell you this..." Gordo started, and Lizzie felt her stomach drop somewhere around her knees. She knew what was coming, and she stopped on the landing.  
  
Gordo kept going up, then realized Lizzie wasn't with him. He glanced over his shoulder, saw her, sighed, and pushed his way through the tens of kids making their way up. "You and Miranda are going out," Lizzie realized aloud, her voice completely without emotion.  
  
"Well, um...yeah," Gordo admitted, scratching his head and looking at the floor, the walls, anywhere but at her. "It just sort of...happened, you know?"  
  
Lizzie could only nod dumbly. She wasn't hearing this. She wasn't!  
  
"Are you okay with this?" Gordo asked.  
  
Okay with it? Was she okay with it?  
  
**You're supposed to like ME!** her brain screamed.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she forced herself to say, but couldn't bring herself to smile. "We're...we're gonna be late." The rest of the students had already filed out of the stairwell, and Lizzie took them two at a time.  
  
It was official -- today was the worst day in the history of ever. 


	2. Another Day on Alderaan

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Two: Another Day on Alderaan  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
"Okay, kids, here goes. This is Economics, a class focused entirely on your favorite subject and mine -- money."  
  
The teacher was Mr. McIntire, who preferred to be called Mr. Mack, a short guy with hair even curlier than Gordo's, and a thick beard. He looked like a high school drama coach, and Lizzie liked him already.  
  
"My objective in this class is to teach you guys a little bit about the national economy, and also to help you a little in your own lives as far as money and finances are concerned. Later in the semester, I'm going to pair you up for a real life study, in which you'll have three months to practice different elements of the quote-unquote 'real world.' But between you and me, while that stuff is all well and good for the future, high school is just as much the real world as the rest of it."  
  
Lizzie smirked ruefully. Wasn't that the truth. The absolutely sucking truth.  
  
"But luckily for you guys, this first week will be spent watching fun money-related movies, such as the Charlie Sheen vehicle Wall Street, and the movie Boiler Room." Lizzie and Gordo applauded with the rest of the class. The real way to win over a class was to show movies.  
  
"Mr. Mack is totally cool," Lizzie whispered to Gordo, having forgotten for a moment that she currently hated his guts. But as Gordo turned to smile his agreement, she had a flashback, and remembered Miranda kissing his cheek.  
  
Gordo had liked *her* first. Lizzie. Not Miranda!  
  
Lizzie abruptly faced forward again, pissed beyond belief at their betrayal. And how dare Gordo get over her so quickly? Was there something terminally wrong with the Lizzie McGuire package that she'd missed?  
  
By the time class was over, Lizzie had been stewing so much steam was practically coming out of her ears. She flew out of the room without bothering to say goodbye to Gordo. Fortunately she had the rigors of chemistry, and a psychotic, sadistic teacher to boot. She would be working her butt off nightly if she ever wanted to pass, and science definitely wasn't her strong point. She debated asking Gordo for help, since he was a genius practically, but the thought of being anywhere near Gordo made her want to curl up in a corner and die. Miranda, too, for that matter. How could they have done this to her? What had she done in a former life to warrant this sort of turmoil?  
  
Lizzie didn't speak to Miranda in math, having carefully timed herself to rush into the room just before the bell, and with any luck, not finding an empty seat anywhere near Miranda. No one in high school saved seats. The plan had miraculously worked. Miranda was sitting dead center in the room, and the only free seat for Lizzie was in the upper left corner of the room. Lizzie kept her head down to avoid the teacher's gaze, for fear that it was smoldering, and to avoid looking at Miranda at all, which fortunately she didn't have to do for the entire class. Once class was over, Lizzie rushed out like she had on Gordo.  
  
By lunch, however, Lizzie had calmed down considerably, and decided to brave eating with them. She made a silent promise to herself that if she made it through lunch without bursting into tears or throttling either of her best friends, she would stop by the Digital Bean after school and treat herself to two espresso brownies.  
  
Lizzie got out of the lunch line and scanned the bustling cafeteria. High school was madness. There was no pleasant openness of a courtyard caf, just an enormous square room crammed full of tables, uncomfortable little plastic chairs, and high schoolers. Finally she spotted Gordo and Miranda, just barely holding down a small, round table in the far corner. She hurried over, afraid that they could lose it at any moment.  
  
"Hey, guys."  
  
They looked up from their lunches, concern apparent in their eyes. "Um, hey," Miranda said uncertainly.  
  
Gordo was less tactful. "You're upset, aren't you."  
  
**That's the understatement of the year.**  
  
Lizzie sat down and studied her orange tray with a glob of yellow in the middle. It may have been macaroni and cheese, but there was really no telling for certain.  
  
"I mean, you walked out on me after Econ class, and Miranda said you did the same thing to her after math. Lizzie, if you're upset, you should just tell us. We're still your friends."  
  
"Do they have salad dressing around here somewhere?" Lizzie blurted. "This lettuce needs some life injected into it."  
  
Gordo and Miranda sighed loudly, and Miranda pointed across the cafeteria to the condiments bank. "There should be little dressing packets there."  
  
"Back in a sec," Lizzie said, pushing away from the table. Okay, so much for being cool about the whole thing. But really now, how could they not know how completely and totally devastated she was?  
  
Lizzie managed to weave through the crowd, and fetch her dressing without spilling anything or tripping over anything. But halfway back to their table, she smacked into Larry Tudgeman. "Lizzie McGuire," Tudgeman declared, and Lizzie smiled slightly, unsure.  
  
"Hey, Larry, what's up?"  
  
"Trying --rather unsuccessfully-- to find a table," Larry admitted.  
  
"Want to come sit with us?" Lizzie asked suddenly. Larry couldn't hide his surprise, and Lizzie couldn't help but being surprised herself, but she only smiled. Normally she wouldn't want to be seen anywhere near Larry Tudgeman, for fear of damaging her social reputation, but the only people who'd paid any attention to her today were Miranda and Gordo. Besides, Larry was a nice guy, albeit a little weird, and maybe if he sat with them, Miranda and Gordo wouldn't try to play the concerned friend card, therefore lessening Lizzie's pain only slightly.  
  
"Well, I--" Larry started, then smiled gratefully. "Sure, thanks."  
  
Lizzie made her way back to the table, Tudgeman in tow. "Look who I found, guys," she said, and Miranda and Gordo, who had been involved in conversation, looked up. There was no masking the shock on their faces.  
  
"Um, hi, guys," Larry said, waving slightly.  
  
Miranda swallowed. "Tudgeman."  
  
"Mind if I sit down?" Miranda's rude stare was clearly making him nervous. Gordo gestured elaborately at the empty seat between Lizzie and Miranda. "Go nuts."  
  
Larry smiled. "Thanks."  
  
"So, how are you guys liking the first day so far?" Lizzie asked brightly. Asking Tudgeman to join them had been a stroke of genius. Miranda and Gordo were too confused to do anything but glance over at Tudgeman as if he was some sort of alien species -- which meant they were leaving her alone.  
  
Larry swallowed a large bite of the yellow globby stuff, and seemed completely undisturbed that it was an alien life form. "Great. I have physics first period, then Shakespeare."  
  
"Physics? First period?" Lizzie repeated incredulously. She shook her head and began to squirt ranch dressing on her flat salad. "Larry, you are totally insane."  
  
"I get that a lot," Larry said good-naturedly.  
  
When the bell rang at the end of lunch, Lizzie found that she'd actually had a good time. Larry was fun to talk to, sort of, and Miranda and Gordo hadn't even so much as touched. "You're going to join us tomorrow, right Larry?" Lizzie asked cheerfully.  
  
"Looking forward to it," Larry said, waving at them, and heading off to class.  
  
Lizzie shouldered her bookbag, feeling much better than she had that morning.  
  
"Are you sick or something, Lizzie?" Miranda asked.  
  
"What, because I asked Larry to join us? He didn't have anyone else to hang out with," Lizzie said.  
  
"Well, how about his weird, geeky Star Wars friends?" Miranda said. "I don't see why he has to hang out with us."  
  
"Miranda, could you be any more shallow?" Lizzie said, annoyed. "Larry's a good guy. He's smart, he's sweet, he's just a little weird, that's all. Like you didn't have a good time at lunch."  
  
Miranda only huffed. "This is stupid. I'll see you guys later." She stalked off.  
  
"She's not mad, is she?" Lizzie asked, but she wasn't terribly worried. Miranda would get over it in a few days.  
  
"Just confused," Gordo answered. "Lizzie, you never answered my question. Are you upset? About me and Miranda?"  
  
**Of COURSE I'm upset, you idiot!**  
  
Lizzie said nothing.  
  
Gordo sighed. "You are upset. I'm sorry, okay? I never meant for this to happen, you know..." He paused, and Lizzie wondered if he was going to say something else, about last year, about maybe liking her. But he shook his head. "I'll see you after school."  
  
"Yeah," Lizzie said, and stood in the middle of the hallway, watching him go. 


	3. This Stays Between Us

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Thanks to all who've reviewed so far! I appreciate it. I know that the Miranda/Gordo pairing is totally out of nowhere, but since the story is already done, rest assured that everything gets explained. Really.  
*Karasuma*Firestorm  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Three: This Stays Between Us  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
After awhile, though, Lizzie had finally come to terms with the situation. Gordo and Miranda didn't know they were betraying her because she hadn't ever said anything about liking Gordo. When she'd first come to that realization, she'd run away to Colorado without warning and with barely any word. What she should have done was talk it out with Gordo, instead of mulling over it all summer, surrounded by screaming fifth-graders.  
  
It was too late now, of course. Lizzie was just going to have to deal with the consequences. But she vowed that she wasn't going to let anything stop her anymore. If she wanted something, she would get it, and she wasn't going to be afraid to take risks.  
  
She still loved Gordo. It wasn't something she could just turn off, much as she would've liked to, and she knew she only had herself to blame. So she put up with it all with a cheerful smile. Whether or not the smile was real was unimportant.  
  
Tudgeman continued to eat lunch with them, and Lizzie was glad to have a new friend in their group, even if he wasn't as close as the other three of them were. Larry was also in Lizzie's study hall, so they got to talk quite a bit. That particular morning, the period before lunch, Lizzie was in a funk because she'd seen Miranda kiss Gordo at Miranda's locker before first period. The image had stayed with her all morning, making her insides do a spasmodic fandago of pure frustration and longing.  
  
"What's wrong?" Larry asked, sitting down next to Lizzie.  
  
"What?" Lizzie looked up. "Oh, hey, Larry. Nothing."  
  
"Something is obviously wrong, my dear, it's written all over your face."  
  
"Well...can you keep a secret?" Lizzie couldn't believe she was about to trust Tudgeman with only the most important thing in her life, but he was a good guy, and she had to talk to *someone*.  
  
"Of course I can. What's up?" To Larry's credit, he hid his eagerness well.  
  
"It's Gordo."  
  
"I knew it."  
  
"Well, if you know everything, I don't have to tell you now, do I," Lizzie said sourly. What she really needed right now, what she'd been needing for awhile, was a sympathetic ear and a brain to pick. Usually she went to Gordo with her problems, but this time Gordo *was* the problem, and Lizzie was left stuck.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Larry said, holding up his hands in a 'don't shoot' gesture. "Please, continue."  
  
"Well, last year, at the murder mystery party, Kate told me that Gordo liked me. And then after awhile, I started to realize that maybe I liked him too..." Lizzie trailed off, uncertain of where to go with this.  
  
"The class picture," Larry said, and Lizzie was confused for a second until she remembered that of course, he'd gotten a copy, too. Everyone present for it had.  
  
"Yeah, that. Well, I didn't know what to do...so I left. I spent the entire summer in Colorado being a CIT, and I didn't even say goodbye."  
  
"And you come back and you find out that Gordo and Miranda are an item," Larry filled in.  
  
Lizzie sighed. "Exactly. The problem is, I really like him. Maybe even love him, I don't know. I just...I just don't know what to do."  
  
"Well, well, well, we're certainly in a pickle, aren't we," Larry said unhelpfully.  
  
Lizzie groaned and her head dropped onto the table. "Just kill me now."  
  
"Were you ever going to tell him that you liked him?"  
  
"I was going to tell him the first day of school, but look how well that turned out."  
  
"What you need to do," Larry said decisively, "is tell him. You don't have to tell him that you still like him, if you don't want, just that you did at some point. He's with Miranda now, so it won't screw up your friendship, right? Then you'll have gotten it off your chest and can move on with your life."  
  
**He may have a point. This is consuming you.**  
  
"Or maybe I can just go home, watch a Friends rerun, and write a cheesy Ross/Rachel songfic."  
  
"I'm going to pretend I understood that," Larry said, shaking his head. "C'mon, what harm can telling him do now?"  
  
"Okay, okay, I'll do it," Lizzie sighed. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  
  
Larry patted her on the back. "Atta girl."  
  
"Thanks for the help, Tudge," she said, and flashed him a lopsided, nervous smile.  
  
"Anytime, Liz." 


	4. Brand New You

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Author's note: Thank you guys so much for your great reviews! Seriously, I know you all hate me for the whole Miranda/Gordo thing, but I swear to you, it gets better. Trust me! I'm a L/G fan all the way. ^_^ But really, the title of the fic is "Unexpected", so you gotta be surprised a few times. But really, thanks for your support, and thanks for reading my other story "The Sweetness" (for those of you that have).  
Much love,  
*Karasuma*Firestorm*  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Four: Brand New You  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
Lizzie, even though she had the same class as Larry, was the last one to their corner table. Over at the far entrance to the cafeteria, there was a small hubbub. "What's up?" Lizzie asked, casting a glance at the collection of kids gathering by the door -- a collection, she noted, comprised entirely of girls.  
  
"Cheerleading tryouts," Miranda said, rolling her eyes. "They posted the sign up sheet five minutes ago."  
  
"Oh," Lizzie said, and unwrapped her sandwich. But even as she ate, she kept glancing over at the sheet by the door.  
  
"So in my art class, we have to do still lifes in two different mediums," Miranda was saying, "and I'm thinking of doing sculpture and a charcoal sketch...Lizzie?"  
  
Lizzie looked back at the table.  
  
"You're totally zoning," Miranda informed her.  
  
"I think I'm gonna do it," Lizzie said decisively. The other three stared at her, confused. They hadn't been privy to the conversation she'd been having with herself in her head.  
  
"Do...what?" Gordo asked slowly.  
  
Lizzie put down her sandwich. "Sign up."  
  
Larry was the first one to catch on. "You're gonna do it?" he asked.  
  
"Sign up for WHAT?" Miranda said, looking totally perplexed.  
  
"Tryouts," Lizzie said.  
  
Miranda and Gordo stared. "No way," Gordo said.  
  
"You wouldn't," said Miranda.  
  
"I would."  
  
"You want to be on a team with those bitches?"  
  
"C'mon, Miranda, they can't all be that bad. Besides, why shouldn't I go for it? I aced rhythmic gymnastics, didn't I? Cheerleading is just that, only with rhyming and short skirts." Still no positive reinforcement. "I'm totally sick of not doing anything with my life," Lizzie said. "If I don't take risks, nothing will happen. I was hoping you guys would support me on this, but if you don't, then I'll just go it alone." She stood up, stalked purposefully towards the far entrance, and proudly signed her name on the sheet. When she got back to her seat, she fixed her supposed best friends with a defiant glare. "Face it, guys, Lizzie McGuire is a wannabe cheerleader."  
  
~~~~~  
  
That day after school, Gordo showed up to her locker -- alone. "Hey."  
  
Lizzie tossed her math book in her backpack. "Yo."  
  
"Listen, about today at lunch...I'm proud of you."  
  
Lizzie could only snort derisively. "I bet. You hate cheerleaders and everything they stand for."  
  
"I prefer to think of it as a case-to-case basis. But seriously, you have a goal and you're going to work hard to achieve it, and that's commendable. Besides, if you do make the squad, then you'll prove that not all cheerleaders are heartless trendoids."  
  
"True."  
  
"And anyway, it's obvious you really want to do this. So I'm behind you, a hundred percent."  
  
Lizzie slammed her locker shut and zipped her backpack. "Thanks, Gordo."  
  
She smiled at him, and he smiled back, and for a moment, it was like old times. Before Lizzie had started resenting Miranda and hanging out with Tudgeman to compensate for losing her two best friends. But she'd never really lost them, had she? It was obvious that she still had Gordo, and she was pretty sure that Miranda would come around.  
  
Lizzie glanced around. The hallway was empty except for them. "You know, Gordo, I gotta tell you something," she said, surprised at her newfound confidence today. "Last year...when I kissed you...I really liked you, you know." There. Past tense, not really saying but definitely implying that she was over him. Even if she wasn't, and never would be. "I went to Colorado to escape, to think things out. What I should have done was talk to you about how I felt, but I was so worried that you wouldn't like me back, and that I'd lose a friend. So I ran, instead. It was a stupid thing to do."  
  
Gordo looked like he didn't know what to say. With false cheer, Lizzie added, "But you're with Miranda now, so it's all good, right? I just want you to be happy, Gordo," she said, more seriously this time. "Listen, I gotta go. I've got a huge pile of chem homework to do, and I'll have to practice a routine for tryouts this weekend. See ya."  
  
Gordo started, like he was coming out of a trance. "Uh, yeah. See ya. And...you know...call me. If you have any problems with the chemistry. Okay?"  
  
She grinned at him, but her heart definitely wasn't in it. Faking nonchalance was hard! "Sure thing. Thanks."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm outtie." She sped off down the hallway, not looking back. Tudgeman had been right, it did feel better to get it off her chest. Although it didn't seem like she'd been talking *to* Gordo, but more like she'd been talking *at* him. Oh, well. Everything would be fine by tomorrow. 


	5. You Wouldn't Believe

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Author's note: Again, thanks for the reviews, it's greatly appreciated. Sorry this one's a little short, but it was the easiest way to break up the story.  
*Karasuma*Firestorm*  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Five: You Wouldn't Believe  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
Tryout day came, and with it, a huge bout of nervousness. Lizzie barely touched her food at lunch, until Larry insisted that she have something. Miranda offered her yogurt, which Lizzie accepted, knowing that this was Miranda's way of saying she was sorry, and that she was supportive. "You guys are all going to be there, right?" Lizzie said, spooning yogurt into her mouth with zeal.  
  
"Totally," Miranda said.  
  
"Absolutely," Gordo agreed with a firm head nod.  
  
"Wouldn't miss it," Tudgeman said.  
  
Lizzie laughed. "A cheerleader with her own cheering squad."  
  
"Hey..." Gordo said, smiling slightly. "You called yourself a cheerleader."  
  
"Did I?"  
  
"Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we?" Miranda said.  
  
"No, no," Larry said. "She's thinking positive. Lizzie McGuire, cheerleader."  
  
"Absolutely," Lizzie said. "Three o'clock, the main gym."  
  
"Lizzie, we'll be there," Miranda said. "Honest."  
  
Lizzie nodded, and scraped the bottom of the cup.  
  
"Hey, Lizzie."  
  
Lizzie's entire table looked up. Kate Sanders was standing over them. "Hi, Kate," Lizzie said uncertainly. She'd been lucky enough to not share any classes with Katezilla, and therefore hadn't spoken to her at all. Which could have been a good thing or a bad thing. She was about to find out.  
  
"So you're trying out for the squad today."  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Yeah, me too."  
  
"Your name was first on the list," Lizzie said.  
  
"Yeah. Well...good luck."  
  
Hmm. So today she was Nice Kate. Maybe high school had humbled her some. Or maybe it was all part of a plot. Lizzie didn't know which to believe, so she decided to just nod and smile. "Thanks, you too."  
  
Kate smiled back, and it was a distinctly nervous smile. "Worried?" Miranda said, disdain for Kate and pure smugness evident in her voice.  
  
Lizzie shot her friend a 'shut up' glare. "Don't worry," she assured Kate, "you'll do fine."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"See you this afternoon," Lizzie said brightly.  
  
"You bet." As Kate walked away, Gordo said, "You're nice to everyone, aren't you, Lizzie."  
  
**Yeah, unlike Miranda,** Lizzie thought darkly. **Could you have been any ruder?**  
  
But she kept that to herself; she needed all the support she could get this afternoon. "Yeah, well, everybody deserves a second chance," she said decisively. "I mean, Kate and I were friends once...and now that we have something in common, maybe we can be friends again. She's a nice person, guys. She's just...really good at hiding it."  
  
"You can say that again," Miranda and Larry chorused, then looked at each other and laughed.  
  
Gordo, however, continued to stare at Lizzie, and his scrutiny made her feel warm all over. "That's pretty cool of you," he said.  
  
"Well, I try." She hoped she was right. This year had barely started, and already so many things had changed. Maybe this old rivalry would change for the better. 


	6. The Rhythm Divine

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Six: The Rhythm Divine  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
Lizzie tugged at the hem of her sleeveless shirt for the billionth time. "Relax," Gordo said from the row behind her, leaning over so he wouldn't bother the other hopefuls. His breath was warm on her bare shoulder, and it nearly made her shudder. Now was not the time to be having these kinds of thoughts about Gordo. Although really, she shouldn't have been having these thoughts about Gordo at all these past few weeks, because he was with Miranda. Yeah, they toned it down, mostly for Lizzie's benefit, but she saw them kissing in the hallway, and knew they did it more than the few times she'd caught them and pretended not to notice, although she couldn't quell the jealousy that bubbled in her stomach. They held hands a lot, but Lizzie could ignore that fairly easily.  
  
She shouldn't still like Gordo. It wasn't fair to Gordo, and it wasn't fair to Miranda, and it certainly wasn't fair to her. But the heart wanted what it wanted.  
  
"Next up..." Georgette Skyler, the captain, was saying, and Lizzie looked up. "Lizzie McGuire."  
  
Gordo rubbed her shoulder encouragingly, leaving Lizzie tingly. Behind her, her friends voiced their encouragement: "Go, Lizzie!" from Miranda; "Good luck," from Larry; and "Just *relax*, you'll do great," from Gordo.  
  
Lizzie closed her eyes, shook her head to clear her mind, and stood up. She walked over to the head table, where six cheerleaders, including the blond, brassy, commanding presence that was Georgette, were assembled, waiting all too eagerly to pass judgment on the fifteen or so girls that wanted on the squad.  
  
"Did you bring a tape?" Georgette asked, all business, but not unkindly.  
  
Lizzie nodded, and handed it over. She'd worked hard, making an short, upbeat mix and a matching routine that showcased her gymnastic skills. Georgette put the tape in the deck, and Lizzie quickly backed onto the middle of the mat, taking her place. She rolled her shoulders a few times, and shook out her limbs, loosening up.  
  
**If there is a God, don't let me fall over.**  
  
The bass started, and then the medley blasted from the tape deck. Sinking into another realm, Lizzie became another person, a fanatical gymnast, energetic, positive, bursting with energy. She launched into her routine with zeal: flipping, spinning, dancing. She had choreographed this thinking about Gordo, and it showed in her routine, the frenetic energy that he inspired in her.  
  
Lizzie sank into a split, the finale of her brief performance. The song ended, and Georgette clicked off the tape, smiling. Gordo, Miranda, and Tudgeman applauded enthusiastically, with whistles, as did a few of the other candidates, including Kate. Some of the board actually looked impressed. "Nice work, McGuire," Georgette said, handing over Lizzie's tape.  
  
"Thanks," Lizzie said breathlessly, and returned to her seat.  
  
"You were fabulous!" Miranda squealed, the first genuine enthusiasm she'd displayed all afternoon. Really, the first enthusiasm she'd expressed about Lizzie's decision at all.  
  
"Seriously, Liz, you rocked," Larry agreed.  
  
Gordo smiled at her fondly. "You glowed."  
  
**I glowed? What the heck does THAT mean?**  
  
Still, a compliment was a compliment...even if it was weird. Lizzie beamed at him.  
  
Kate wandered over, and sat down next to them. She hadn't come to tryouts with an entourage. Now that Lizzie thought about it, the few times she'd seen Kate, the girl had been alone. It was almost sad. "You were great, Lizzie," Kate said sincerely.  
  
Lizzie smiled. "So were you," she answered. "It must've been hard to go first, but you really pulled it off."  
  
"I wasn't half as awesome as you," Kate insisted, and the girls smiled at each other.  
  
There was one girl after Lizzie, and when her routine was over, a fairly unspectacular routine in which she'd stumbled quite frequently, Georgette Skyler commanded attention once again. "Thanks all of you for coming," she announced. "You were all excellent, and we'd like to take you all, but we can only take four of you. We have to confer, and the results will be posted outside of the girls locker room Monday morning."  
  
The other wannabes and their respective groups got up to leave, as did Lizzie and her friends. "What say we go somewhere and celebrate?" Lizzie suggested, taking her hair down and then sweeping it into a ponytail again.  
  
"Like the Digital Bean?" Miranda said.  
  
"No, we always go there. Let's go to like, a restaurant," Gordo said, smiling slightly at Lizzie. Lizzie beamed; Gordo was taking her seriously and taking her interests seriously, which was more than she could say for Miranda currently.  
  
"Hooters!" Tudgeman shouted enthusiastically, and they all cast him withering glares. "What?"  
  
Lizzie shook her head. "I dunno, we could go anywhere. I just want to hang out with you guys."  
  
"So, fine, let's go to the Digital Bean," Miranda said. The best friends stood up and started towards the end of the gym, before Lizzie stopped and realized there were only three members of the posse. She turned to look at Kate and Larry. "You guys are coming, right?"  
  
They paused for a second, confused. Larry had never hung out with the trio outside of school, and Kate hadn't hung out with them since elementary school. Lizzie knew that Gordo and Miranda were probably giving her a weird look, too, but she'd stopped caring. She could make friends with whomever she wanted.  
  
Larry and Kate nodded, and got up. 


	7. Outside Perspective

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Author's note: you guys are so good to me. Seriously, I love you all! Watch out, here comes a rare reviewer shout-out...  
Alastar - I'm your favorite author? ::big puppy dog eyes:: AWWW! That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me! ::hugggggg::  
...and now back to your regularly scheduled author's note.  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Seven: Outside Perspective  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
Monday morning came, and found Lizzie at her locker, surrounded by Gordo, Miranda, Larry, and Kate. Only Lizzie and Kate were nervous. Larry looked hungry, Miranda looked bored, and Gordo looked nonchalant. "You guys were great," he told them, "especially you Lizzie," he added with a special smile directed at her, which made her cheeks heat up. "You guys made the squad for certain."  
  
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Lizzie put on a brave smile, and led the small posse to the girls' locker room. A small group of girls, several of them Lizzie recognized from Friday, were clustered around the door. "I'll go in," she told Kate, who was oddly silent and subdued. Not anything like the old Kate. And not even anything like the *old* old Kate, Lizzie's elementary compadre, who was one of those shiny happy people that R.E.M. had warned Lizzie about. But now...it was weird. Lizzie wondered if Kate would resort back into old Kate, Katezilla, if she made the squad.  
  
"Excuse me...excuse me...ooh! Sorry," Lizzie said, stepping on someone's foot as she shouldered her way into the pack of eager teenage girls. There was a tall brunette directly in front of her, blocking the view of the sign up sheet. Lizzie counted to three silently, and luckily, the brunette moved. Lizzie peered at the list; Kate's name was the first one on it. "Kate, you made it!" she squealed over the murmurs of the crowd, and somewhere behind her, she heard Kate shriek with joy. Lizzie smiled, and turned back to the list, but someone bumped into her from behind. She stumbled, and bumped into someone else, who pushed her back in. It was like a mosh pit.  
  
Lizzie got her footing again, and looked at the list.  
  
**Please let me make it. Please, please, please.**  
  
4 Lizzie McGuire  
  
She'd made it. She'd made it! She was on the list. Lizzie, completely overcome, let out a joyous scream.  
  
"That's not good," she thought she heard Gordo say.  
  
"Prepare for damage control," Miranda said with a sigh.  
  
Lizzie pushed her way through the crowd and rejoined her friends, too elated to even care that Miranda was clutching at Gordo's arm like he was some kind of life preserver. "I made the squad!"  
  
"We made it! We made it!" Kate said, and she and Lizzie hugged, jumping up and down. Once Kate released her, she found herself wrapped in Gordo's arms, a place she hadn't been in awhile, and one she didn't particularly want to leave. Ever. Mm.  
  
She and Larry exchanged a high-five, and Miranda smiled half-heartedly at her.  
  
**For someone who's my best friend, you'd think she'd be a little more enthusiastic.**  
  
"Congratulations," Tudgeman said.  
  
"Yeah, congratulations, you two," Gordo echoed. He waited, then looked at Miranda expectantly. "Well?"  
  
"What?" Miranda said.  
  
"Aren't you going to congratulate them?"  
  
"Why should I?" Miranda said sourly. "Lizzie's going to leave us now to hang out with more *popular* people, and we all know what *Kate's* really like."  
  
"Miranda, that is totally not true," Lizzie said, hurt that her best friend could say something like that about her -- and mean it. "And don't attack Kate," she added, although she couldn't help but agree that Kate could turn into Katezilla with any provocation.  
  
"You know what, whatever," Miranda said. "I've got to get to class." She stormed off without so much as a goodbye, and Gordo shook his head. "I'm sorry, guys," he said. "She's being a real bitch."  
  
Lizzie couldn't hide her surprise. Gordo never swore, and he'd never said anything bad about either her or Miranda...and with Miranda as his girlfriend made the whole situation even stranger. She found herself staring at Gordo, suddenly filled with the disgusting hope that maybe this was the end of Miranda's and Gordo's relationship.  
  
**I shouldn't be so happy about their misery.**  
  
Gordo sighed. "I'll go talk to her. See you in class, Lizzie. Bye, guys."  
  
"I better go too," Larry said. "Mr. Oldfield hates it when you're late to class. See you at lunch. And congratulations."  
  
Lizzie smiled, and her friends walked off. She was left alone with Kate, and felt compelled to say, "You know, Kate, Miranda has a point."  
  
"About me turning into a she-devil?" Kate said.  
  
**Way to hit the nail on the head.**  
  
"Something like that," Lizzie said uncomfortably.  
  
"I know, I know, I'm a total bitch, and I deserve for you guys to still hate me."  
  
"Why haven't you been hanging out with Claire and everyone?" Lizzie blurted.  
  
Kate laughed shortly, and shook her head. "About a million reasons. Like, they're mean and snotty and I was sick of always having to be like that, just so I could be popular. It was stupid and a waste of time."  
  
"So you're not going to start thinking you're better than anyone just because you're a cheerleader?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"I'm gonna try not to," Kate offered.  
  
"You want to start hanging out with us at lunch and stuff?"  
  
"If you'll let me."  
  
"Of course." The girls smiled at each other, and Lizzie hoped that this would keep up.  
  
They started walking to class, and Kate said, "This probably isn't any of my business, but what's the deal with you and Gordo?"  
  
Lizzie sighed. "The deal with me and Gordo is that there's no deal with me and Gordo."  
  
"Way to be cryptic. C'mon, McGuire, he was all over you at the Digital Bean Friday."  
  
"All over me? Please. He barely looked at me all night."  
  
"He was looking. You just didn't see."  
  
"You're delusional, Sanders. Gordo's going out with Miranda, remember?"  
  
"He's going out with Miranda, so he must not like you. Reminds me of 'we're just friends', so he must not like you. What it seems like is a case of you wanting something, but at the same time being in complete denial about it. So what's the deal, are you into Gordo now?"  
  
"You saw the class picture," Lizzie said. "What do you think?"  
  
"Well if you're into him, and he's into you, then why is he with Miranda?"  
  
Lizzie sighed again --she did that a lot lately-- and told Kate the story.  
  
"What we need to do is break them up," Kate said.  
  
"You sound like my brother," Lizzie said, rolling her eyes. "Devious and stupid. They're my best friends. I can't do that to them."  
  
"If he's with her, he can't ever be with you," Kate pointed out.  
  
"You think I don't know that? If I somehow break them up, eventually Gordo will find out, and he'll hate me, I mean really hate me. That's the *last* thing I want."  
  
"I can imagine. So you really do love him, don't you?"  
  
"Let's just put it this way: every day is like slow torture."  
  
"How romantic."  
  
"So..." Lizzie said slowly, inflated with hope, "you really think he likes me still?"  
  
"I know he does," Kate said confidently.  
  
"Hmm," was all Lizzie could say. 


	8. Economics

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Author's note: another short chapter, my apologies. Again, it's all based on how you want to break it up, and this is how I broke it up.  
And not only is it short, but it's LATE, too. I'm really sorry. I got caught up in working on the latest chapter of "Sweetness", and working on some new stuff, and I forgot to update...again, sorry.  
T-Aye-Ki: ::large hopeful eyes:: AWWW! Thank you! I love you! ::hugness::  
/gush  
*Karasuma*Firestorm*  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Eight: Economics  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
Lizzie dashed into the room just as the bell was ringing. "Nice of you to join us, McGuire," Mr. Mack said. Lizzie glanced at him, embarrassed. He smiled at her, and relieved, she took her seat next to Gordo.  
  
"Okay, class, here's the deal. Today we start work on our first economics project," Mr. Mack said. "You're going to partner up. I suggest you pick someone you don't hate and you know you can work with. You are going to write a company, and ask them for stock information, and you're going to follow the stock for several weeks Everything is outlined in this syllabus."  
  
As Mr. Mack passed out thick packets of guidelines, the class erupted in sound as people looked for partners. Lizzie stared at her hands, folded on her desk. Gordo wasn't saying anything. Didn't he want to be her partner?  
  
Suddenly, Jenny Woods was at her side. "Lizzie, need a partner?"  
  
"Um, uh..." Lizzie stuttered. Jenny was okay and all, but Lizzie didn't really know her that well. What if she left Lizzie doing all the work?  
  
"Sorry, Jen, she's already working with me," Gordo said politely.  
  
Jenny smiled and shrugged. "Duh. Gordo and Lizzie. I should've known. Sorry!"  
  
"No, it's okay!" Lizzie said, her voice finally returning to her as Jenny walked away. "Thanks for asking!" She smiled weakly at Jenny's back, then turned to Gordo. "Gordo!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You could've said something!"  
  
Gordo looked perplexed. "About..?"  
  
"About us working together!" Lizzie huffed. "You could've told me!"  
  
Ever since the beginning of the school year, Lizzie and Gordo had spent no time alone together outside of Econ class. Miranda was always...hovering. So when class came around, Lizzie found herself suddenly nervous at being 'alone' with him. Especially after her little dashboard confessional at her locker.  
  
"Lizzie, we always work together," Gordo explained patiently, as if she were a small child. A small, stupid child. Of course they did. It was implied, as Jenny had indicated. Yup, Lizzie was a moron.  
  
"Oh," she said, giggling nervously. "Yeah. Right. I...I, uh, forgot."  
  
He had a point. Which was half of the reason they worked together as often as they did: Gordo was smart. Really smart.  
  
**He's also cute, and funny, and thoughtful...**  
  
"Right, right," she said. "That makes sense."  
  
"This project actually looks like a lot of fun," Gordo said, flipping through the pages quickly. "You know who Mr. Mack reminds me of?"  
  
"Mr. Dig," they chorused, and smiled at each other. It was a Lizzie-Gordo moment in the truest sense of the word, and Lizzie found herself blurting, "I miss you, Gordo."  
  
Gordo stared, knowing that she wanted to say more.  
  
"I mean, we never hang out anymore. Just you and me," she amended. "You're always with...her."  
  
He gaped. "'Her?' You mean, Miranda, your best friend?"  
  
She'd said too much. "Listen, um, I..." *Brrring!*  
  
Saved by the bell! "I'll see you at lunch," she said, and ran off, just barely balancing her books. Why had she said that? First she'd told Gordo how she really felt, and although she'd tried to make it flippant and like she was totally over him, he still avoided her. He must have hated her, or thought she was crazy, or who knew what. And now, she'd definitely made a reference to resenting Miranda --hew own best friend-- and now if Gordo didn't hate her before, he would now.  
  
Lizzie debated skipping lunch, but the thought of leaving Miranda and Kate at the same table without a referee was wholly unappealing. It was weird, at the moment the only ones she was willing to face were Larry Tudgeman and Kate Sanders, of all people. One hand on the cafeteria door, she forced herself to relax, and put on the smile of someone who'd just made the cheerleading squad and wasn't completely in love with her best friend. 


	9. Make A Date

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Author's note: some of you have made claims that Miranda's coming off kinda mean. I know, it's a little out of left field, but I'm trying to build it up slowly. In the "I Do, I Don't" eppie, Lizzie says that this isn't the first time that Miranda's moved on for greener pastures...so I'm trying to work with that, a little. Sorry for all Miranda fans!  
*Karasuma*Firestorm*  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Nine: Make A Date  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
At the lunch table, however, Miranda and Gordo were nowhere to be seen. Lizzie plopped her tray on the table and inquired about the absence.  
  
Larry shrugged. "Dunno where they are. They just didn't show up."  
  
Lizzie frowned. "I hope everything's okay."  
  
"You think Miranda's still mad?" Larry asked.  
  
"She's not mad about Lizzie making the squad," Kate said.  
  
"She's not?" Lizzie and Larry chorused.  
  
"She's mad about the way Gordo is reacting to Lizzie making the squad."  
  
"She is not," Lizzie said.  
  
"Are you blind, McGuire? Seriously, I don't know why you won't listen to me about this. As an impartial observer, believe me when I say that Gordo is into you. I think that the only reason you don't see it is because you feel guilty about it."  
  
"When did you become a psych major?" Lizzie said, tossing her hair in annoyance, but she knew that Kate was probably right.  
  
Kate shrugged. "Fine, be that way."  
  
"Lizzie, as much as it pains me to admit to this, I'm inclined to agree with Kate. Gordo is clearly still smitten with you."  
  
"I can't believe you two are agreeing on anything," Lizzie marveled.  
  
"What are they agreeing on?" a voice asked, and Lizzie instantly went red, recognizing it as Gordo. She looked up, and saw Gordo approaching their table, Miranda several steps behind.  
  
**Wonder what THAT's all about.**  
  
"That Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the best movie ever," Larry said quickly.  
  
Gordo sat down, and cocked an eyebrow. "For Tudgeman, that makes sense. For Kate...not so much."  
  
"Well, you know, Orlando Bloom," Kate said flippantly.  
  
Miranda sat down, either incredibly subdued, or just snubbing them all. They pretended not to notice, and discussed the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the rest of lunch. With ten minutes left until the bell, Miranda finished her lunch, and left as silently yet dramatically as she had come in. Lizzie glanced worriedly at her departing back, wondering if she should go after Miranda, but worried that she might still be mad. She settled for quizzing Gordo.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong."  
  
"What's wrong with Miranda?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong with Miranda."  
  
"ARG!" Lizzie said, slapping the table. "Gordo!"  
  
"What?" Gordo said innocently. "Everything's fine, Lizzie. A-okay. Neato-keen. Super. Need I go on?"  
  
"You're infuriating!" Lizzie exploded, throwing her hands in the air. She grabbed her tray. "I'm outtie."  
  
"Wait!"  
  
Lizzie turned around. "What?"  
  
"Um...you free after school?"  
  
An invitation?  
  
**I'm liking this...**  
  
"Um, I've got practice. Why?"  
  
"Oh. Uh, homework. You know, the econ project. I figured you could come over and we could, you know, get started."  
  
Homework. Of course. This was *Gordo*, for crying out loud.  
  
But he was definitely not normal, confident, sort of bored with the whole situation Gordo. He sounded sort of nervous, really.  
  
"Well, I could come over after practice," Lizzie hedged, biting her lip.  
  
"How about I just come watch, and we can walk home together?" Gordo said.  
  
Larry and Kate exchanged a knowing look, which Gordo didn't notice, and Lizzie pretended not to.  
  
This was no big deal. She and Gordo were best friends! Always had been. Their entire lives. This happened all the time. And besides, there was the very important factor that Gordo was dating Miranda. Which meant hanging out with Lizzie meant nothing. Then there was that little bit this morning, where she'd referred to Miranda as *her*. Although, it seemed as though Gordo was ignoring that. Thank God.  
  
"Yeah, sure, come watch me make a total fool of myself."  
  
"You won't," Gordo said emphatically. "You're *good*, Lizzie. Really good."  
  
Lizzie had to get out of there before she turned into a tomato. "Um, thanks. Listen, I'll see you guys...after school. After school." She shook her head. "I'm outtie." 


	10. The Biggest Idiot in California

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Ten: The Biggest Idiot in California  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
Lizzie was nervous for only the millionth time that day. It was bad enough that it was her first day of cheerleading practice, and considering Georgette Skyler's drill sergeant rep, she wasn't looking forward to it. But to make things worse, Gordo was coming to watch her. So she not only had to be good for Georgette, she had to be extra good for Gordo. Which meant she would have to continue to be extra good at *every* practice for Georgette.  
  
ARG. High school was *way* too complicated.  
  
In the locker room, it took all she had to not freak out and hide in a bathroom stall for the next hour or so.  
  
"Lizzie, c'mon. If we're late...well, I don't know what'll happen, but I bet it's not good," Kate said.  
  
"I can't go out there."  
  
"Who're you afraid of? Georgette? Gordo?"  
  
"Try C, all of the above."  
  
"Well, it's your first day, so Georgette won't absolutely kill you if you screw up in front of everyone. And Gordo loves you, so he won't make fun of you."  
  
"Gordo doesn't love me," Lizzie said quickly, and found herself being ushered out of the locker room by Kate.  
  
"Well, if you don't want to think he loves you in 'that way,' at least you know that he loves you as a friend. And has he ever made fun of you for being the klutz that you are?"  
  
Lizzie sighed. "No."  
  
"Then it's all good. Just go out there, and you and I will knock them dead."  
  
"Swear?" Lizzie asked. She was already feeling better.  
  
"Swear."  
  
~~~~~  
  
It had been the longest hour and a half of Lizzie's life. First Georgette had them sit in neat little rows, while she paced in front of them, lecturing on the importance of unity and sisterhood. Then she'd taught them a basic cheer, and made them partner up for a trust falling exercise. "Trust is important on a squad," Georgette had declared, pounding her fist emphatically into her palm. "When you're up there doing stunts, you need to be completely relaxed. And you cannot completely relax unless you trust implicitly your cheerleading sisters."  
  
Lizzie, after having participated in the exercise, was surprised to discover that she *did* trust Kate. After everything they'd been through together, Lizzie would've thought that Kate was the last person she wanted catching her. But she wasn't afraid. Maybe it was all of the helpful Gordo advice.  
  
In any case, Lizzie was nonetheless exhausted when she left the locker room. Gordo was waiting patiently next to the door for her.  
  
Lizzie laughed. "You must've scared quite a few cheerleaders waiting there," she said. She'd been one of the last ones out.  
  
He shook his head, smiling. "The thousands of doors I've waited by for you."  
  
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," she said softly, and couldn't help thinking about how this situation mirrored Gordo waiting so long for Lizzie to come to her senses about him. At least this time she wasn't too late.  
  
"Not a problem," he said. "Shall we?"  
  
"Mm. Yeah." They started out of the school, and chatted easily about nonessential stuff the entire way home. The unimportant stuff was safe ground, Lizzie thought, school and food and movies. Things like that. Even so, even when the stuff was so basic, she loved talking with Gordo. He was insightful, and always listened to everything she said. Sometimes when she was talking with other people --Miranda, namely-- it felt like they turned everything she said into a story about themselves. But not Gordo. He was genuinely interested in what she had to say, no matter what the topic.  
  
"Big shocker, my parents aren't home," Gordo said, letting them in the front door. They went into the kitchen and Lizzie settled herself at the counter while Gordo rummaged in the fridge.  
  
"So, what'd you think about practice?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"I was fairly unimpressed," Gordo admitted, "but it was unlikely that there would be a whole lot of crazy gymnastic stuff the first day. I noticed you seemed pretty comfortable with Kate, though."  
  
"Yeah, talk about weird." Lizzie frowned, staring off into the distance. "But, you know, things change. Even Kate. At first I was all worried that she'd become Evil Kate again, but she's...I dunno, she's different. Things change," she repeated, then found herself saying, "like you and Miranda."  
  
"Yeah," Gordo snorted, emerging from the fridge with a carton of milk, which he all but slammed on the counter. "Miranda."  
  
"Gordo, don't even try to tell me now that things are all okey-dokey between you and Miranda," Lizzie said. "You don't have Kate and Larry here now. It's just me." You can tell me anything, she willed him silently. It was their mantra as friends, and she didn't want him to just up and forget it.  
  
Gordo found some glasses, and sat down across from Lizzie, pouring the milk. "I don't know why I ever went out with Miranda," he admitted.  
  
Lizzie wanted to agree with him, but knew that was only the worst possible plan ever. Instead, she just let him talk.  
  
"I mean, there was this...um, there was this girl," Gordo said, looking away quickly when he saw Lizzie staring at him. "And I really liked her, but she never noticed me. And then...things just happened between Miranda and me. She asked me out, and I was really upset about...the other girl...and so I said yes."  
  
"Gordo..." Lizzie started, wanting to ask if the 'other girl' was her. Just casually bring it up. But she couldn't. She just couldn't. She coughed. "So, are you and Miranda still going out?"  
  
He shook his head. "We broke up this afternoon. You saw the sort of person she'd become. Angry at everyone, and possessive of me. She was only *so* jealous of you."  
  
"Why would she be jealous of me?" Lizzie inquired innocently, knowing she was giving Gordo the perfect opening to admit that he *had* liked her last year.  
  
"I don't know," Gordo said. "But I couldn't take it. She wasn't the same person I used to be friends with. You know?"  
  
Lizzie nodded. "I know. Believe me, I know. Miranda's become someone else lately."  
  
"I had to do it," Gordo said, staring at the table, more to himself than to her. "I couldn't keep going on like that."  
  
He looked so...sad. Lizzie couldn't pinpoint exactly why he was sad, and she wasn't sure she could help alleviate the pain.  
  
"Gordo, remember when I said I used to like you?"  
  
**Oh my God. Oh my GOD! Shut up, McGuire! Just shut up now!**  
  
Gordo stared at her.  
  
"Well, you never said anything about it. And...I'm worried."  
  
**You are the biggest idiot in California.**  
  
"Worried?" Gordo echoed.  
  
"I mean, maybe it's because of that, that you and Miranda..."  
  
"What?" Gordo said. "No! I mean, no. It's not because of you. I mean--"  
  
"Gordo, I still like you."  
  
**You are the biggest idiot in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE.** 


	11. Blind to the World

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Author's note: short, but dramatic.  
*Karasuma*Firestorm*  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Eleven: Blind to the World  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
"Gordo, I still like you."  
  
She'd said it. She'd totally said it.  
  
Gordo was staring at her like she'd grown an extra head. "You're kidding, right?"  
  
He thought she was kidding? Talk about humiliating.  
  
"Why would I be kidding? Gordo, you're such a great person, and I was just stupid, okay? I thought that running away would solve everything, that maybe it would kill my feelings for you, but I still like you, all right? I still do, and you're --you were-- going out with Miranda, and...I don't know why I'm telling you any of this. You're a good person, Gordo, you're a great person, and I know you're upset about this, but you shouldn't be upset. *She* changed, not you."  
  
What was she even talking about? This was a huge mistake, a huge, huge mistake. She got up and fumbled clumsily for her backpack, laying on the floor at her feet. "I...I should go."  
  
"Lizzie..."  
  
"I'm sorry," she said, moving blindly for the door, her bag whacking against her knees.  
  
"Lizzie, don't leave."  
  
"I should go," she repeated.  
  
"Lizzie, for the love of God, if you leave now I'll never speak to you again. I'll do it, too. I'll go hang out with Ethan Craft and the rest of the basketball team and we'll talk about scabs constantly, and I'll severely lower my I.Q. You don't want that, do you?"  
  
She wanted to laugh. She also wanted to run. She settled for dropping her backpack on the kitchen floor. "No," she mumbled.  
  
"It was you, did you know that? The girl I liked last year. I liked you, but you never noticed me. No one ever notices me."  
  
"I noticed you more than you think."  
  
"Then why didn't you say anything?"  
  
"Why didn't *you*?" she countered hotly. "I mean, you liked me first, didn't you?"  
  
"I didn't say anything because I thought you'd say no."  
  
"Why would I say no?"  
  
"Because I'm not Ethan Craft, that's why," he retorted.  
  
Ethan Craft. Ethan, of the really good hair, and not much else. Lizzie hadn't even seen him since school started. Nor had she thought about him once since the day they exchanged yearbooks.  
  
"You don't have to be Ethan Craft for me to like you, Gordo," Lizzie said, heated up. He made her so mad sometimes, constantly calling her shallow...well, yeah, maybe she was sometimes, but not anymore. Now she saw people for what they were inside, and Gordo was perfect inside. "You just have to be yourself. I mean, it worked, didn't it? Because I love you."  
  
**MAYDAY!**  
  
She'd said that out loud, hadn't she? When was she going to be cured of foot-in-mouth syndrome? Now she *really* had to go. She didn't bother to say goodbye, just grabbed her bag and stumbled blindly out of the kitchen, gaining speed as she moved through the house. She unlocked the front door and pulled it open, only to have it slammed shut in her face.  
  
Lizzie turned around, and Gordo was standing there, his arm over her shoulder, braced against the door. They were so close, so close...  
  
Gordo kissed her.  
  
Lizzie kissed him back, closing her eyes, blind to the world, just not caring anymore.  
  
Then it was over, and she panicked, and she yanked the door open and ran. 


	12. Change of Character

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Twelve: Change of Character  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
Lizzie missed school the next day. She told her parents that she was sick, but she just didn't want to face Gordo that day. Make that, she didn't want to face Gordo *ever*.  
  
Unfortunately, she had to pull off a miracle recovery by that afternoon so she wouldn't miss practice. Georgette would never forgive a freshman that. Which, naturally, meant that she would be in school the next day. She prayed that she would develop a sudden heart condition that left her unable to do anything but cheer, because she didn't want to face the wrath of Georgette Skyler.  
  
Kate pressed her for details about last night's escapades with Gordo, but Lizzie remained silent on the subject.  
  
"Miranda didn't show up at the lunch table today," Kate said, and Lizzie took a small amount of comfort in the fact that Kate had said 'the lunch table,' and not 'your table,' like she had until today. "So it was just me, Gordo, and Tudgeman. And Gordo totally didn't talk at all."  
  
Lizzie froze. That wasn't good. Gordo probably thought she was avoiding him...well, she *was* avoiding him. But she didn't want him to think that! She...okay, she didn't know *what* she wanted him to think. She didn't know what she wanted to do. She didn't know what she should do. She didn't know if the three of them were still best friends, or if Gordo and Miranda would still be friends, or if Lizzie and Miranda would still be friends, or even if Lizzie and Gordo would still be friends. Lizzie had talked more with Kate in the past hour than she'd talked with Miranda in the past week.  
  
"I'm going to call Miranda tonight," Lizzie said.  
  
"What?" Kate said at the locker next to her.  
  
Lizzie hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud. "Um, nothing. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"  
  
"So you're going to be back in school?"  
  
"Yeah. It was just a...it was just a twenty-four hour thing," Lizzie stammered, grabbing her duffle bag and all but running out of the locker room.  
  
At home, Lizzie paced in her room for an hour before finally working up the courage to dial Miranda's number.  
  
"Hola! Sanchez residence."  
  
"Um, hi, Mrs. Sanchez?"  
  
"Lizzie! Haven't heard from you in so long, I was beginning to get worried. Is everything okay?"  
  
**Is everything okay? You're kidding me, right?**  
  
"Everything's great, Mrs. S. Is Miranda in?"  
  
"Sure, hold on." There was a clicking sound, which must've been her putting the phone on the table, then some scuffling, and some distance away, the shout of "MIRANDA! PHONE!" Which led to Miranda getting on the line. "Talk to me."  
  
"Hey. It's Lizzie."  
  
"Oh. Hey, Lizzie. How was...how's cheerleading?"  
  
Why was their conversation so forced-sounding?  
  
"Oh, it's going good. Hard work, but I knew that going in," Lizzie prattled on nervously. "Listen, um, Miranda...we haven't talked in awhile. I just wanted to know what was up with you."  
  
"You mean what's up with me and Gordo," Miranda said immediately, in a weird, toneless voice.  
  
"I..."  
  
"C'mon, Lizzie, wasn't that the real reason you called?"  
  
**Who is this person and where's the real Miranda?**  
  
"Well, you know, I heard you guys broke up..."  
  
"Yeah, he's yours now," Miranda said shortly.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Listen, it's painfully obvious that you two are all in love and stuff. And I have a feeling that that's what was going on while I was in Mexico, and neither of you had the balls to just tell me."  
  
This wasn't happening. It wasn't supposed to be like this!  
  
"So, listen, if you still want him, I guess you can have him. He obviously doesn't want me, and never did."  
  
Lizzie hadn't even had a clue that Miranda had ever wanted Gordo.  
  
She hated herself. She had screwed everything up. She didn't know what to do or say around Gordo and Miranda, and now Miranda was avoiding her and she was avoiding Gordo, and she had been such an awful friend that she hadn't even known that Miranda liked Gordo...  
  
"Miranda, why did you ever go out with Gordo, anyway?" Lizzie demanded, sounding far more emotional than she'd ever intended to.  
  
"Why should I tell you?" Miranda said. Lizzie had the feeling that she'd meant to sound that angry.  
  
"I'm your best friend, isn't that reason enough?"  
  
"Because Gordo was easy. I wanted a boyfriend, and I knew I could get Gordo without any hassle," Miranda spat. "There. You happy?"  
  
Lizzie was stunned into silence. What was she supposed to say to that? All she could manage to do was splutter incoherently.  
  
"Anyway, it was pretty obvious from the beginning that he was only doing it to make you jealous. So you know what, go crazy, go off and be with Gordo and have your cheerleading, okay? Adios."  
  
The line clicked sharply, and never before had Miranda's parting call of 'adios' sound so final. Lizzie didn't know what to do. Miranda hated her, she was friends with Kate and Tudgeman, of all people, she hadn't thought about Ethan Craft in months, and instead, she'd been thinking constantly of Gordo. Was high school this complicated for everyone, or just her?  
  
The phone rang, jangling to life while it was still in her hand, and Lizzie jumped. She hit the 'talk' button. "Hello?" 


	13. The Best of Times and the Worst of Times

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Thirteen: The Best of Times and the Worst of Times  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
"Hello?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"Lizzie?"  
  
Gordo!  
  
"Um, hi," she said.  
  
"Are you all right? You weren't in school today."  
  
"Um, yeah, I had a...a bug. But I'm okay now."  
  
"Oh, good." A pause. "I was worried that maybe you were...you know, avoiding me."  
  
**Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.**  
  
"Listen, Gordo, about yesterday..." What was she supposed to say in a situation like this? That it was a mistake? It may have been a mistake, but it was only the best mistake that had ever happened to her, and Lizzie experienced a lot of mistakes. She'd only spent all day today lying in bed, thinking about Gordo's lips on hers, and being torn between wanting to squeal excitedly and wanting to die because it was all sorts of wrong.  
  
"I shouldn't have done that," Gordo said quickly.  
  
**Yes you should've!**  
  
"No, it was..." Lizzie couldn't find adequate words to express herself. Gordo probably thought she was a huge moron. "Why'd you do it?"  
  
Gordo's silence was a clear indicator that that was the last response he'd been expecting. "Well, I thought you wanted me to..." he said lamely.  
  
"Why would you think that?" Lizzie demanded hotly.  
  
**Why am I getting mad? I DID want him to kiss me!**  
  
"C'mon, Lizzie, you said you loved me. If that isn't a clear-cut indicator, I don't know what is."  
  
"Gordo, I...I gotta go. For dinner..." she said weakly, knowing he was right and unwilling to admit that. She wanted to be with Gordo, but at the same time, she just couldn't. Not when Miranda hated her, not when things were weird between her and Gordo as it was...it was way too complicated for her and Gordo to get together now.  
  
Maybe ever.  
  
"Dinner, right," Gordo said, sounding disappointed. "Uh, you going to be in school tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay. I'll see you later, then."  
  
"Mhmm. Bye, Gordo."  
  
"Lizzie...wait."  
  
Lizzie, thumb over the 'off' button, paused.  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
**Way to make things even more difficult.**  
  
Lizzie hung up the phone. 


	14. Red Herring

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Fourteen: Red Herring  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
The next morning, Lizzie passed Miranda in the freshman hallway. She waved, but Miranda ignored her completely. This wasn't just a case of not seeing her, this was total rejection. Lizzie's heart sank.  
  
She debated skipping first period. She just couldn't face Gordo, not after the kiss and the chat, and...  
  
"Hey, Lizzie."  
  
Oh crap, now he was at her locker, and she couldn't escape. "Um, hey, Gordo."  
  
"So, you wanna come over after practice today? We still have to do that project. I already picked a company, if that's okay...I didn't know when you'd be well again, so I got started."  
  
"Uh, thanks. That was...thoughtful."  
  
"So, you're definitely feeling better?"  
  
"Oh, absolutely," she lied. Suddenly she was feeling awful.   
  
Gordo shuffled his feet. "Almost time for class," he hedged.  
  
"Lizzie? Lizzie, is that you?"  
  
They turned, grateful for the distraction, but Lizzie's relief turned into shock.  
  
"Ronny?"  
  
It was. It was Ronny Jacobs, her first boyfriend, coming this way, a lot taller --could you grow that much in only a few months?-- and pretty cute. Still didn't know the meaning of a comb, though. Lizzie was surprised to find herself blushing.  
  
"How are you?" Ronny asked.  
  
"I'm, uh, I'm good," Lizzie stammered. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I go to school here," he said with an easy smile. Lizzie smacked her forehead. Of course he did, all of the area middle schools graduated to Hillridge High.  
  
"Yeah, of course," she said. "How are you doing?"  
  
**How's 'the other girl', scumbucket?**  
  
"I'm doing pretty good," he said. "I can't believe I've never seen you in the hallways before today."  
  
"Yeah, weird."  
  
The bell rang, and Gordo tapped her shoulder. "Um, Lizzie, we should get going to class now."  
  
"Hey, who's this?" Ronny asked.  
  
"Oh! Um, Ronny, this is...ah, this is Gordo. Gordo, this is Ronny Jacobs."  
  
"*The* Ronny Jacobs?"  
  
"You've heard of me?" Ronny said, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"This is Gordo, my best friend," Lizzie explained. Ronny probably didn't remember her ever mentioning Gordo. Gordo, of course, would remember Lizzie mentioning Ronny. He was only all she'd ever talked about during their brief relationship. Gordo smiled at Ronny, but it was a half-smile, and not terribly sincere. They shook hands, and Gordo looked pointedly at Lizzie, who exclaimed, "Yeah! We have to get to class. Bye, Ronny. Nice...ah, nice seeing you again."  
  
"See you around," Ronny said with an enticing grin, and Lizzie practically fled the hallway.  
  
As they raced through the door into economics class, Mr. Mack looked up, amused. "Mr. Gordon, Ms. McGuire. I hope that whatever you did to make you so late was worth it." His comment was punctuated by giggles from a few classmates, and Lizzie went beet red, as did Gordo. Their reactions didn't exactly do anything to quell the laughter, and Lizzie and Gordo raced to seats at opposite ends of the room. At the end of class, Lizzie was one of the first out of the room, and Gordo one of the last. 


	15. Give the Lady A Prize

Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.  
  
Author's note: This is it! The final chapter. It's been a rush, you guys, and I can't say it enough: thanks for reading. And thanks for the great reviews, they mean a lot to me. There's a possibility of this little fic having a sequel, if I get around to it...what do you say?  
Love love!  
*Karasuma*Firestorm*  
  
Unexpected  
Chapter Fifteen: Give the Lady A Prize  
  
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~  
  
Lizzie attacked Larry in study hall, telling him about the kiss, her disappearing act the next day, her call with Miranda, her call with Gordo, and the sudden reappearance of Ronny Jacobs that morning.  
  
"So...you and Gordo both admitted your love for each other...you kissed...and you're *not* together?" Larry asked, puzzled.  
  
"That's the long and short of it, yeah," Lizzie said. "What do I do?"  
  
"Well, duh, Liz. You go out with Gordo."  
  
"I can't do that!"  
  
"And why can't you? Because of Miranda? As I recall, she never really liked Gordo in the first place. And Gordo has no outstanding feelings towards her; he just wanted to make you jealous and it worked. And she's completely alienating you for no good reason, so you owe nothing to her."  
  
"She's alienating me because I like Gordo and I ruined their relationship."  
  
"No, Miranda ruined the relationship herself by being totally schizo. In any case, you and Gordo liked each other long before she decided to butt in, and she knew it. Lizzie, you and Gordo belong together, and nothing is standing in your way but your own reluctance. Wasn't that what ruined your chances last time?"  
  
Larry had a point. "But what about Ronny?"  
  
"What *about* Ronny? Who broke your heart, and who picked up the pieces?"  
  
"Ronny broke it, and Gordo fixed it," Lizzie admitted.  
  
"This is a no-brainer, McGuire, and I know you're not that dumb. What you should be doing isn't talking to me. You should be talking to Gordo. You're avoiding him. Any more of this, and he's going to think you're rejecting him. You've gotta fix things before you lose him again."  
  
"You're right, Tudgeman. You're absolutely right."  
  
**Never thought I'd be saying that.**  
  
"Give the lady a prize."  
  
Lizzie got out of her seat, and started to walk to the front desk. "Where're you going?" Larry asked.  
  
Lizzie smiled at him, but it was a nervous smile. She felt like someone had put a thousand cocoons in her stomach while she'd been asleep, and now they were all undergoing metamorphosis. Butterflies, moths, maybe even a hummingbird or two, all erupting in her gut and making her want to puke. "I'm going to go find Gordo, and I'm going to tell him the truth."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Lizzie stopped a few feet short of Gordo's classroom, and took a few deep breaths. She thought she might die of stress. Leaning against a row of lockers, she willed herself to calm down. It was just Gordo; she didn't have to be afraid of facing Gordo, ever. Hadn't she come to him to beg for help in math? That was far more humiliating than this. Besides, she already knew how he felt about her, so this should be easy.  
  
So why was she so nervous?  
  
Well, there was the Miranda factor. Although Lizzie didn't know why she was so reluctant to incur the Sanchez wrath, seeing as how she'd experienced it many times in the past. Besides, this wasn't the same Miranda she'd gone to middle school with. This was an entirely different Miranda, one that Lizzie didn't particularly care to know. So she shouldn't care what she thought. Miranda had never really liked Gordo like that, so she wouldn't be that upset. And if she was, so what? She had no real basis to be.  
  
Lizzie argued with herself for a full minute before she remembered what she'd come here to do. She took one last deep breath, and walked over to the door. The teacher, a tall, balding black man that Lizzie didn't recognize, although she was sure Gordo had mentioned him before, was writing on the board, his back to the room and to the door. Lizzie waved frantically, trying to attract Gordo's attention, but he was copying down the notes.  
  
A kid in the first row saw her, and waved back uncertainly, clearly wondering who this weird chick was that was waving at him. "Get Gordo," Lizzie mouthed. "Gordo." She pointed.  
  
The kid's eyes widened as he interpreted her message, and nodded.  
  
**Someone's a brainchild. Took you long enough!**  
  
He turned to look at the person sitting behind him, and pointed at Gordo. The second kid threw a pencil, which bounced off of Gordo's head. Lizzie put her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her laughter. Gordo looked up, annoyed, and the pencil-throwing kid pointed at the door. Lizzie waved at him, a hopeful expression on his face.  
  
Gordo looked confused for a second, then grinned at her. Just that goofy grin made Lizzie melt inside. He raised his hand, and Lizzie ducked out of sight when the teacher turned around. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Gordo joined her in the hallway.  
  
"What's up?" he asked.  
  
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm scared. I was scared of my feelings because you're my best friend and I didn't expect to ever feel this way about you. So I ran. And then when you kissed me, I ran again, and when you said...when you said you loved me," it was so weird to say that, "I ran again. And you probably thought...you probably thought that I was rejecting you, but I'm not, I was just confused and I was afraid of ruining things, and I was scared of what Miranda would think, but it's not like she's even Miranda anymore, and I'm sorry Gordo, I'm sorry and I love you." She flashed him a tentative smile.  
  
The next thing she knew, Gordo's arms were clinched around her waist, and she'd wrapped his curls around her fingers, and they were kissing with all the pent-up frustration they'd been feeling since the beginning of last year. Lizzie smiled against his lips.  
  
**Awwwww! It's like a movie of the week!**  
  
The bell for lunch rang then, and the hallways exploded with hungry student life. People whistled and laughed when they saw the embrace, and Lizzie and Gordo stepped back from each other, embarrassed. "Um, we should go to lunch," Gordo said, ducking his head.  
  
"Yeah," Lizzie said, running a hand through her hair and laughing nervously. "Lunch." She smiled at Gordo, and as they started down the hallway, Gordo took her hand.  
  
That was how they approached the lunch table, holding hands. Tudgeman was telling a story, gesturing elaborately, more than likely regaling Kate with how he came to Lizzie's rescue last period and she'd never returned. Kate pointed over Tudgeman's shoulder, and he turned to look. Kate and Larry burst into spontaneous applause as the couple--  
  
**We're a couple! EEE!**  
  
--approached, and Lizzie and Gordo sat down quickly, ducking their heads. "Could you please not make a scene?" Lizzie said, embarrassed.  
  
Gordo laughed and poked Lizzie in the side. "Like you didn't make a scene in the hallway five minutes ago."  
  
Lizzie looked indignant, but it was obvious she was trying hard not to giggle. "Moi? You kissed me first!"  
  
"I don't think so," Gordo said, shaking his head and laughing. "*You* kissed *me* first."  
  
Kate squeaked and grabbed Larry's arm. "They kissed!"  
  
"They better have," Larry said with conviction.  
  
Gordo and Lizzie laughed, and Lizzie squeezed Gordo's hand. He squeezed back instantaneously, and Lizzie smiled. He'd always been there for her, and he always was going to be there for her.  
  
Sitting there, with a new circle of friends and a new boyfriend, for the first time all year, Lizzie felt perfectly happy. 


End file.
